


Erratic

by ghostxforest (nusch)



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2018-09-15 02:37:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9215051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nusch/pseuds/ghostxforest
Summary: Loki travels north and finds romance on an ice field.





	1. Chapter 1

Loki turned on his heel and headed back to his apartment in frustration. He always forgot one essential thing without fail every single time he left his home. This time it was his notebook. He had most of the documentary’s outline in his phone, but he preferred working from the notebook instead when he was in a meeting. Maybe he felt more connected to his audience? He hadn’t really analyzed it. But using his phone or his laptop always felt like a connection killer. The notebook, on the other hand, felt like a tool for engagement. Not that he had to sell any ideas to his producers. They had in fact come to him with this subject matter and been very supportive of Loki’s vision so far. While the notebook might have been an important prop in any other pitch meeting, the current need was primarily personal preference and comfort. 

He hopped quickly up the steps of his old West Village brownstone, a little worse for wear, but still a handsome building on a charming tree-lined street that he would never be able to afford if it hadn't been in the family for decades. The neighborhood had changed around it, becoming more and more bougie by the month, but he could not imagine living anywhere other than New York. He had gone to college and graduate school at NYU, living in bare necessity dorm rooms followed by a string of subsistence level studios - to describe the closet-sized spaces generously - until the last tenants of this family property left (well, died) and he was able to move in, paying a very small amount to have the deed transferred to his name and thus keeping the building in the family. He knew how lucky he was and he thanked the heavens often.

Throwing the front door open he headed straight for his office and found the notebook right where he had left it but now covered with cat. Oh, cat. Not now. Not now. He was running late now, but Tony would not be surprised, so Loki made his way back to the subway at a brisk but not overly panicked pace. With luck on his side, he was walking up Lexington Avenue and into the offices of Central Thesis Productions just after the hour. 

The receptionist let him straight into the large communal office space. Loki always found it strange that the producing team of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner went the open plan communal route for their working space. Tony was brash and egotistical, a brilliant scientific and technical mind inside the body of a natural performer. He loved having all eyes on him and was an excellent salesman. Loki appreciated Tony’s talents at securing the meetings with the deep pockets that funded their ventures. Bruce Banner was nothing like Tony Stark. He was thoughtful, measured, and more circumspect in all aspects of their shared business. If Tony was the one that got them the desired connection, then Bruce was the one that sealed the deal, taking the edge off any concerns a financial backer might have with Tony’s style. Loki would have thought that Tony would insist on a swanky space, private offices with grand sweeping views of the metropolis stretched before them and personal assistants barring access to the great minds behind the door. But as that was nowhere near the case, Loki credited Bruce’s influence with keeping Tony’s ego in check. They were a formidable team and their shared love of science, scientific process, scientists, science education and the whole world that branched out from that singular subject, tied them together in a common goal - telling stories about science. 

Loki had worked with Central Thesis Productions for going on six years now. Tony and Bruce had funded his first documentary film short on migrating water fowls in Long Island Sound when he was still in graduate school at NYU after meeting him at a school mixer for young talent - a term Loki loathed - to meet potential supporters for their future endeavors. Loki knew the program was trying to teach them the necessary networking skills but the main thing he learned that night was that he wanted to do as little hideous networking as absolutely possible. He worked the room, shook hands, shared his inspiration as clearly and honestly as he could without feeling dirty or compromised. His vision, he scoffed internally, was pearls before swine in this crowd. Or so he thought at the time. He had learned differently since that first introduction to the business side of his creative dream. Over the last six years he met with many of those people many times and as he got to know them better, he realized they all cared about these stories as much as he did. They may have lacked the creative tools to tell them themselves, but they had the resources to make them possible.

Bruce and Tony however were different from the very beginning. For one thing, the two men were scientists themselves. They knew their own fields deeply and understood the connections between the branches - they could see the interwoven narrative in the same way Loki did and felt the same desire to to reach a general, yet curious, audience. They were interested in the technical workings of film making so they could better support the necessary funding and fundraising. They tackled their cinematic education with the same earnest, thorough, and investigative zeal that characterized their scientific research. By the time they teamed up with Loki, they already knew a lot about cameras, film stock, and pacing and eagerly listened to Loki’s own perspective. Bruce and Tony became more than financial backers and producers, they became Loki’s collaborators and friends. 

The trio took that first documentary short, The Long Island Soundtrack, to a few local festivals and found that audiences were moved by Loki’s narrative style, his imagery, his craft. They entered the film in competitions and garnered invitations to national festivals. Before they knew it they had built a reputation for Loki as a documentary film maker to be watched and cemented Central Thesis Productions, as a respected source for content and talent. Over the six years of their partnership, that reputation had only grown. Loki’s films had won a few awards and even more acclaim. While Tony and Bruce had built relationships with more documentary film makers, Loki was the star of their stable. 

Loki walked through the outside office door and found Tony sitting alone at a long counter-height table that bisected the room.

“Ah, Loki!” Tony stood and stretched his arms high over his head towards the exposed beamed ceiling with a soft groan and a few audible pops. He was dressed in his usual hipster-chic jeans, t-shirt, and hoody straight from Barney’s no doubt. On most days Loki loved to needle him about his fashion choices, but today he was more interested in talking about their latest project.

“Tony. Are you keeping sane holding down the fort without Bruce?”

“You know I have the easier part of the bargain right? I get to stay home while he has to rough it at the the Fairbanks Econolodge. No thanks, my friend.” 

“Alaska isn’t a third world country, you know. In fact, it’s a state if I recall.”

“A red state on the other side of Canada. Please.”

“So I take it you won’t be making any visits during the shoot?”

“Of course, I’ll come, make an appearance, shake some hands in Juneau. But only for you, Loki. Only for you.”

“For yourself, too. But thanks for the heartwarming show of support,” Loki rolled his eyes. “Will Bruce be calling in?”

“Nope. Just us today. But he called with some additions to that email he sent and I’ve got some more money information for you - some good news and some bad news there.”

Loki exhaled. “Okay. Shoot.” He opened his notebook and grabbed his pen.

Later that afternoon, Loki met with his personal assistant for coffees and a production debrief.

“Are you about to tell me I have to take a pay cut? Because there’s really not much more you can cut from my pay, Herr Direktor,” Darcy poked Loki in the bicep. She had been his assistant for three years now and despite her carefully cultivated quirky facade, she excelled at organization, schedule management, research planning, and sweet-talking film crews, location fixers, and interviewees. How Loki had survived before Darcy, he simply did not know. 

“No, D. No pay cuts. But we will need to keep costs in line. Tony and Bruce will be enlisting you for budget tracking while we’re on location.” 

“No pay cut. But more work. I see,” she grumbled. “You can at least buy me one of those fancy cookies.”

Loki shook his head as he fished a twenty-dollar bill from his wallet and pushed it across the table. “Get whatever you want and a refill for me, please,” he sighed.

The cafe was perfectly mellow. It was too late in the workday for the local worker bees to grab an afternoon hazelnut half-caf two percent latte. But also too early for the wanna-be writer crowd to start setting up camp. Street life bustled up and down the busy avenue, but everyone was lost in their own reverie, earbuds in, or texting, or both, as they rushed by. Loki loved this tranquil urban in-between time as much as he loved the pre-production calm before the in-production storm.

“Do you want to brush up on your subject one more time before you head to the frozen north?” Darcy had returned with two cookies the size of her hands. To share, Loki hoped quietly, as he reached for his fresh coffee.

“Yes. Let’s talk about glaciers.”

“Glaciers, schmaciers. Let’s talk about Thor Odinson. ‘Cause he is one ice cold hottie. Pun intended.” She shoved an obscene hunk of peanut butter cookie into her mouth as she pushed the research folder across the table with an outlandish wink. She had taped a color picture of Dr. Thor Odinson on the front. His handsome, rugged smile and electric blue eyes could not be denied. 

“Agreed. One hundred percent.” 

Loki made a mental note to remove the picture before travel made life too crazy. Shame though. The shabby folder was much improved by its addition. Much improved.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Banner checks in with Dr. Odinson on a beautiful May afternoon in Fairbanks, AK

Bruce opened the front door of the funky little cottage and followed the stone steps down to the riverside path. A little squadron of ducks met him as they paddled noisily through the rushes that clumped along the river bank. A bright blue sky dotted with flossy clouds arched high above. All in all it was a gorgeous late May day in Fairbanks. 

He had spent his jet lagged morning flipping through the project notes on Dr. Thor Odinson and his work with the Juneau Icefield Research Program, the documentary subject of the next Central Thesis and Loki Laufeyson production. It had been a few years now since Bruce got an email from an old colleague gushing about his daughter’s experience in this “summer glacier camp” and especially about this one young faculty member. Fast forward to today, past all the negotiations between Central Thesis, an initially reluctant Loki - who had balked at the idea of filming a “classroom” no matter the exotic location - and the bureaucratic but enthusiastic JIRP team, he found himself in Alaska doing the last pre-production check-in meetings with that young faculty member who was now a full professor at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and a many year veteran of the JIRP teaching team.

His head was full of these memories as he turned the corner and heard his name called from further down the river. Thor Odinson waved an arm from a corner table on the restaurant’s wraparound deck. Bruce waved back and did a little jog up to a locked side gate.

“Heh. A little help? Or should I just go through the front?”

A young woman with an artfully shaved head and multiple piercings appeared and let Bruce through. “If you’re a friend of Dr. Odinson’s you get the VIP treatment,” she chuckled and stepped aside.

“Dr. Odinson, I presume?” Bruce extended is hand formally with a little smile.

“Please. Thor. No doctor unless you want it right back, Dr. Banner?” They chuckled and shook hands. “I do like the students - even if they might not be my students - to be more formal. That one,” he nodded in the returning waitresses’ direction, “does happen to be one of my students.”

“Yep,” she chirped as she filled Thor’s coffee cup and offered some to Bruce. “Glaciology Research Methods. Let me know when you’re ready to order.”

“It’s nice out here. Thanks for suggesting some place so convenient to my hotel.” Bruce sipped his coffee and settled back to flip through the menu. 

“Well,” Thor sighed. “There’s not really too much to choose from around here. We are mainly a college town. Which means we have surprisingly good Thai food,” he mused. “But other than that - there’s this place and a couple more places “downtown,” he supplied the air quotes with a smirk. “Oh, and that place with the wings and beers that was on that TV show.”

“Don’t know it.”

“Well. I heard it was on some food show. It’s good. Maybe for dinner? Natasha loves it there. Loves the super spicy burn your lips off sauce. She’ll be joining us at some point during lunch.”

“Natasha Romanov. She’s your assistant?”

“Oh no. No no no. She’s a post-doc fellow that works in the program. Our research intersects quite a bit. Definitely do not refer to her as my assistant.”

“Noted.”

“As for lunch, I can recommend all of the sandwiches. And the salads are decent now that the veggies are back in season.”

The two men ordered and chatted around the broad topics of their individual scientific pursuits before finally circling around to the topic at hand, the pending documentary shoot, as their food arrived. 

“Loki is an incredibly gifted visual storyteller. I think you’ve already seen some of his work, but I want you to rest assured that the Juneau Icefield story is in excellent hands. Even if you might doubt the method at times.” Bruce quirked an eyebrow as he popped a french fry into his mouth.

Thor chuckled. “Well, I hadn’t been worried before. But now…”

“No no no. I’m teasing. Loki won’t give you too much grief. Tony though…”

Thor laughed. “Now that I would believe. Stark does have quite a reputation. But your reputation as the voice of reason gives me hope. It did definitely seal the filming deal for me. I binged on those DVDs you sent, too, so I know that Laufeyson’s work is superb, really engaging, inspiring, with excellent science woven throughout. Ahhh,” Thor straightened and waved behind Bruce. “Here’s Nat.”

She slid into a free seat, set a full but tidy binder on the place setting, and extended her hand. “Dr. Banner. It is an honor to meet you.” 

“Dr. Romanov. The honor is mine. Thank you for helping out with our little venture. It’s quite a coup to have someone with local and subject knowledge working on a shoot. I know Loki is, well, he’s relieved to be completely honest. Anything that makes filming even a little bit easier for our small crew definitely eases the logistical burden.”

“Well, it will certainly be a learning experience.” She tapped on the binder. “But JIRP is worth it. Even if this expedition equipment list always seems a bit over the top.”

“Yes,” Thor sighed. “I hope our director doesn’t try to pass off a hybrid ski pole/ice axe at the equipment inspection. The JIRP team can get pretty strict. It is mostly for the sake of the kids’ safety, but they are not above public shaming an adult in the name of a “teaching moment”. 

“I trust Loki’s assistant to check every single box on that list. He’s roughed it before too, filming in pretty hostile conditions. I have faith in his respect for nature and his well-developed sense of self-preservation.”

“It’s really that first day-long cross-country traverse that usually separates out the weak for the kill,” Natasha deadpanned as her lunch - previously ordered by Thor - arrived at the table. “Nicely managed, Dr. Odinson,” she smiled.

“You have me well-trained.”

“When my needs get met, we’re all happier.”

“You two seem to work well together,” Bruce mused. “This exchange bodes well for your summer with Loki.”

Natasha leaned slightly into Thor. “He’s telling us that the director is no stranger to the world of snark.”

“Yes,” Bruce chuckled. “He can definitely hold his own if he’s not in fact leading the pack.”

“Well, that explains the Tony Stark connection, but how do you fit into the picture,” she trailed off thoughtfully, considering Bruce as she chewed.

“Well, the clock is ticking, Nat. You need to compile and analyze your Banner data before he heads back to New York since he won’t be joining us in Juneau.”

“Forsaking adventures on the ice field for urban glamour,” she shook her head in mock disdain. At least Bruce assumed it was mock disdain.

The trio chatted leisurely as they finished their lunch and Thor and Natasha shared stories from past summers on the ice field. By the end of the afternoon, Bruce was sorry that he wouldn’t be able to experience the students, the faculty, the terrain, and the waffles first hand. But he knew with unwavering certainty that Loki would capture the magic and the importance of what happens over the eight week program. They made plans to meet for dinner at Big Daddy’s BBQ, heaven help him, before he headed back down the river path to his cabin.

“He seems nice enough. How are you feeling about everything?” 

“Alright. It will be different this summer with cameras around, but the program deserves a good documentary. And I do think Loki Laufeyson is the right director for it. He’ll do a good job.”

“You’re meeting him for the first time next week?”

“Yep. Next week in Juneau. With all the other prep work happening, too. Maybe that’s a crazy plan, but it’s too late now.” He sighed and pushed a piece of parsley garnish around his empty plate.

“Well, let’s see if we can simplify our shopping list then. It will be one less thing to worry about. Save that energy for your star turn.” She tapped the closed binder. “So how much duct tape do we have between the two of us?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [JIRP](http://juneauicefield.com/) is a very real and very cool thing! I'll be talking about it a bit - and leaning heavily on the site and blog for detail - but it will mostly play a bit part for the rooooommmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaannnncccccce. ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just two professionals meeting over coffee in Alaska.

Loki’s hotel room was a mess. Production notes overflowed the desk. Expedition gear covered the couch. In a corner a pair of skis loomed over a recently arrived hard case of video cameras - a partial inventory of equipment he would be handing off to the camera crew later this week. Steve, Loki’s favorite cinematographer, and the rest of the minimal filming crew, were flying out to the farthest campsite to drop off extra cameras, batteries, booms, microphones, and other miscellaneous tools of the trade in case replacements were needed by week five or six. It was a smart insurance plan. 

The usual culprits had eaten away at Loki’s morning - emails, texting with Darcy, inspirational fugues requiring immediate attention and documentation. Now he found himself with just enough time to swallow down the last mediocre drops of coffee from the room’s kitchenette supply before meeting Thor Odinson for better coffee (he hoped) at one of the local coffeehouse chains. He grabbed his satchel and made his way out onto the bustling portside street. 

The overcast, drizzly June morning did not deter the tourists who trickled out of the seemingly non-stop parade of cruise ships that floated in and out of Juneau every day from May to September. He had watched the arrivals and departures of the multi-story behemoths since he arrived in town a week ago. Fascinating. He had never been on one of those floating hotels before and he was enormously curious. Over email Thor had suggested a coffee shop on the northern edge of the small tourist commercial area. As Loki made his way from the hotel he passed the now familiar curio shops, the jewelry store hawkers enticing the cruisers with sparkly bargains, the food trucks, and the quaint little sheds selling soap made with glacial silt. This time he didn’t stop to peer into the street binoculars trained on Mt. Juneau for a possible glimpse of the shaggy, white mountain goats that lived on its steep cliffs. 

He arrived at the coffeeshop fifteen minutes early. As he waited to order he mentally ticked off the last few items he needed for the expedition: more lip balm, sunblock, and duct tape. Could he find time to head over the bridge to Douglas Island where people actually lived to do his last bit of shopping? Or would he delegate this one last thing to Darcy?

“Loki?” 

He turned around to look up into the twinkling blue eyes of the subject of his documentary. And he was very, very pleased. 

“Hello Thor,” he extended a hand. 

“I pride myself on being the early one for meetings but it looks like I might have met my match.”

“Ha,” Loki chuckled. “I have a reputation for running on the late side truth be told. But not today. It is nice to meet you in person finally.”

Thor turned to grab his coffee when the barista called his name then they made their way to one of the wobbly bistro tables with a view of the channel and patches of blue sky breaking through the clouds. Not that Loki noticed much beyond the view across the table of broad shoulders and a well-developed chest filling out a baby blue zip-up cardigan. The knit fabric clung softly to gloriously muscled arms. That impressive torso was capped off by a handsome face, punctuated by softly pinked lips and those eyes, a mesmerizing shade of blue, all framed by a tousle of shoulder-length blonde hair. Loki’s gaze caught on the fabric at Thor’s wrist where a moth hole offered a discreet peek at the bare skin below. He swooned silently, wondering if such an attractive subject would make the shoot more or less enjoyable. 

“OK. Now I’m ready to answer any and all questions. Shoot.” Thor smiled through a plume of steam. Eyes. Blue, blue eyes, Loki thought.

“Hmm, well, let’s see.” Loki played up deep rumination. “How much duct tape does a grown man on an ice field really need?” 

Thor laughed. “When in doubt, I take an extra roll or two.”

“So I do need to keep that on my shopping list,” Loki sighed. 

“Don’t worry too much about it. I think I can cover your duct tape needs from my dragon hoard.”

“Oh you can? What a generous and slightly nerdy offer.” 

“Just don’t advertise that generosity in front of Natasha. She already knows the nerd part.”

“Natasha … who is not your assistant. Or so I have been told by my assistant who is very much my assistant though I have to often remind her of that fact.” Thor laughed, a deep and rich rumble. Loki could hear more of that. He might even risk a tiny avalanche.

“All joking aside,Thor. Do you have any questions for me? About the process? Can I dispel any worries you may have about working with with me after talking with Bruce and Tony. Honestly, I’m not quite the diva they probably described. I swear.” 

Thor laughed again, much to Loki’s delight. “No worries to dispel. Banner and Stark both speak very highly of you. They sent me some of your DVDs. I had only seen the last one on the linear accelerators. Your work is great. I’m a fan.”

“Well, thank you. That’s not something I hear very often.” Silence fell over the table as they sipped their coffees. Warmth rose to Loki’s cheeks. He hoped he wasn’t blushing.

“I’m glad you’ll be with the faculty and students for the whole trip,” Thor continued. “I think you’ll get a much better sense of the program from the student perspective that way. And the kids are very excited.We've gotten back releases from all the families. But you probably knew that already.”

“Yes. I’ll have a handheld with me to get some B-roll from my perspective from orientation all the way through and my camera team will get some aerial footage, too. We can edit landscape and travel shots together later.” 

“That will be very cool. For the documentary and the kids.” Thor smiled. Then Loki smiled. Then he willed himself to stop all this smiling and be more…more…professional. Dammit. Be professional.

———

“How dreamy is he, Loki? Tell me everything.” Darcy leaned into the monitor, her eyes looming larger and larger on the computer screen. In his hotel room Loki’s own eyes couldn’t roll far enough back into his head.

“We had a good meeting. I think he’s a natural and the camera will absolutely love him,” Loki paused. “He'll be the star even without trying and I’m not sure that’s what I want. I have to think more about that,” he trailed off softly.

“WHAT?! Hunky dude starring in your documentary about a glacier school is EXACTLY what you want. People are going to eat it up and you get paid to gaze at hunky dude. Total. Bonus. I can’t believe I actually have to explain that to you.”

“Get all of your “hunky dudes” out now, Darcy. He's a highly respected scientist not some teen heart throb.”

“I will behave once I’m there, but I have to tell you I am disappointed. I wanted stories of major sparkage, undeniable moments. I want romance!”

“First, for all you don't know, he might be straight. Second, and most importantly, this is work. Though I did have a funny moment.” Darcy’s eyes widened as Loki chuckled softly. “There was a small hole in his sweater at his wrist,” he rubbed his own wrist at the memory. “I caught a glimpse of skin and it was like,” he laughed, “it was like that scene in the carriage in the Age of Innocence with Michelle Pfeiffer and Daniel Day-Lewis when he unbuttons her glove...'

“Oh my god, did you see some ankle and SWOON,” Darcy guffawed.

“No. Okay. Now I regret telling you anything. I regret ever hiring you.”

“Don’t get high on your own supply, Loki. Careful now. Don't forget this is work.” She laughed boisterously.

“What does that even mean? Stop cackling. And you were the one craving romance anyway. I don’t even know why I try. We’re done. Text me after you've arrived and finished those last errands."

"Noooo. Don't shut down! I was ki--"

Loki closed his laptop, leaned back into the desk chair and rubbed his eyes. Three more days until the expedition and the production kicked off. He would be so consumed by the filming that all this silliness would fade away. Just three more days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [The overwrought Age of Innocence carriage scene for reference (after a 5 second YouTube ad)](https://youtu.be/6tetrxzT_dM)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki contemplates his options: creative and otherwise.

Loki turned slowly under the shower head. This would be his last true shower for the next eight weeks, so he lingered as long as he could under the hottest water he could stand soaking in reserves of warmth and cleanliness. The last week in Juneau had been a whirlwind of final production planning, logistics troubleshooting, and the orientation kick-off for JIRP. The crew had already shot some solid footage of the ramp up to departure, good B-roll he thought of the students arriving, the supplies amassing, the faculty assembling. The faces of excited undergrads and returning faculty flickered in Loki’s steamy vision. Their enthusiasm was contagious and he found himself struggling to figure out the proper distance for this project, the right level of interaction. He was chronicling their experience while at the same time experiencing it all himself. He sat in the audience with the students and the first-time faculty and listened as program staff laid out the ground rules for their two-month adventure, belaboring every point in the orientation pack again and again, anxious to just get out there already. When they all groaned under the weight of their forty pound backpacks, he did, too. When they held their breath hearing stories about ten mile treks over a field of ice, so did he. So, was he taking the student’s perspective? Did he need to decide on that path now? Which adventure was he choosing? He stepped out of the shower, thoughts tangled. He loved this creative moment when all of the options were still open. The page was still blank. Over the weeks each choice would assert the limits that would eventually become the clear path.

The quack, quack, quack of an incoming text from Darcy echoed in the bathroom. Then another. And another.

“Okay,” he grumbled. He toweled off, groaning at the good ache of underused muscles in his back as he twisted and stretched. Lugging a pack for marathon cross-country ski-hikes will do great things for my torso, he thought. No wonder Thor Odinson filled out those t-shirts so well.

Thor. Damn Darcy for planting the seed of lustful thoughts about Thor in his head. He had only seen Thor twice since their coffee meeting, both times in group settings. From the sidelines Loki watched as a few of the students (both male and female) succumbed to Thor’s charms. Handsome, intelligent, and patient as he answered the most basic questions about his syllabus; Thor was perfect academic crush material. He chuckled as he imagined the lustful coed journal entries after those sessions with Dr. Odinson. And between Loki and Dr. Odinson? Unfortunately, it seemed to be all business. Or maybe that was fortunate, Loki thought with a small twinge of disappointment. Oh well. A little summer mischief would be fun, but sticking to business was probably for the best.

His phone’s alarm chirped to remind him he had fifteen minutes to get to the crew meeting.  
“Shit.” He he threw on jeans and a t-shirt, grabbed his satchel, and flew out the door, texting Steve as he waited for the elevator. 

_On my way!_

_No worries. We’re in the regular booth._

Loki sighed, pulled his damp mop of hair into a sloppy bun, and hustled out the building.

The pub had quickly become their unofficial office over this hectic week. It was a better location for group meetings than Loki’s hotel room cum apartment with its dinky loveseat and sad kitchenette. Plus pitchers of beer always helped during production planning. Steve, Loki’s cinematographer, waved from a corner booth in the back as he walked into the half-filled front room. Bucky, one of the project’s crew, sat next to him, and Clint Barton, a local bush pilot suggested by the JIRP team, rounded out the group. 

“Sam is running late, too,” Steve announced as Loki slid in next to Clint. Clint had turned out to be a wonderful and seamless addition to the team. He had already impressed Loki and Steve with his flying prowess on a trip earlier in the week, taking them out to JIRP’s Camp 10. Loki, no stranger to rough terrain, discreetly white-knuckled the seat cushion while Clint casually landed on a slim patch of mountainside as if he performed such feats daily before brushing his teeth. It was obviously just another trip for Clint and his banter during the approach as he explained the landscape confirmed the JIRP team’s claim that he was the best pilot in the region. Clint’s knowledge of the JIRP team turned out to be the real bonus for Loki. He had a deep outsider’s perspective of the personal and political history of the program, none of which Loki would use for the documentary but was still extremely useful in its own way.

“Hey, boss. We’ve been going through some of the week’s footage,” Steve said. Bucky poured Loki a beer as Clint motioned for the waitress. The trio were already half-way through their first beers and had decimated a plate of nachos. Only chip crumbs, cheese grease, and a couple wrinkled black olives remained.

“Another pitcher?” Clint asked the table to unanimous nods. They all ordered what had become their usual, some burgers, some halibut and salmon tacos, fries. The waitress cleared the table as Sam walked in the front door. Perfectly timed, Loki thought.

“Did I miss everything? You guys drained a couple of pitchers and ate already while I was actually working? Typical.” Sam huffed playfully.

“We ordered for you,” Loki answered with a smirk. “Did everything come?”

“Yep. Darcy got it all taken care of before she got on the plane. You should really give that girl a raise. She told me to make sure to tell you that.” The whole table chuckled. Sam, Bucky, and Steve had been Loki’s crew of choice for the last two films. Bucky and Sam handled the cameras and sound under Steve and Loki’s direction. With such a small crew everyone ended up filming and operating a boom at some point and Loki only wanted to work with people he could trust to do what it took to capture a moment. Over lunch they reviewed Loki’s production outline, what he hoped to capture as orientation wrapped, on the treks, at the camps, with the students, the faculty, the staff, and even with each other since they would be having their own moments. Capture it, Loki told them, and I can decide what to keep during editing.

“So Clint,” Loki turned to the pilot as a third pitcher of beer arrived at the table. “What can you tell me about Natasha Romanoff? I haven’t met her yet.”

“Well, she is not Thor Odinson’s assistant. I don’t think that can be stressed enough.”

“Oh, it’s been stressed. It’s the first and sometimes the only thing people say about her.” 

Clint laughed. “Well, there you go. She’s committed to her research. She’s a very quick study of people and, um, interpersonal dynamics. She and Thor are close. I like her. What else do you need to know about her?” He took a deep breath then drank down half a pint of beer.

“Sounds like you know her pretty well. Anything going on between her and Thor?”

“Thor and Nat. No way,” he laughed. “Thor and Natasha are friends and colleagues. Nothing more there than that. The JIRP team is so small they wouldn’t be able to keep something like that a secret. Those two are married to their work. Much to the disappointment of many who meet them.”

“Hm. Thanks for that bit of information. Knowing some personal background can help in interview situations. I don’t want to put my foot in my mouth based on a faulty assumption.” Loki took a sip of beer as he waited for Clint to digest that tumble of words, all of which were true, though Loki felt he was deceiving someone. He just wasn’t sure if that someone was Clint or himself.

“I think we’re seeing some evidence of Clint’s last point in the orientation footage. Those girls have damn heart eyes watching Thor. Sheesh. Look at that,” Sam waved his finger at the laptop screen.

“Not just the girls,” Bucky added with a smirk.

“He’s a damn heartthrob,” Sam shook his head.

“Well, he’s a handsome man. You can’t deny that,” Steve said.

“Wait,” Bucky took Steve’s chin and gently turned his head to look into his eyes. “Just checking for hearts.” Sam roared with laughter.

Loki felt himself blush and rolled his eyes dramatically to cover hopefully.

Clint leaned in to see the video. “Yeah,” he sighed. “That’s pretty much an annual occurrence. Though Thor is generally oblivious to all of it. Students. Visiting faculty. Guests. He never notices any obvious attention.” 

Around the booth all the men scoffed.

“No seriously,” Clint laughed. “Married to his work. Like I said. 100% devoted to ice.”

Tinny laughter from the students tinkled out of the laptop speakers as Thor tired to bring them all back to order. “Yeah, yeah,” Thor said to the assembled group. “You’re laughing now but you won’t be if all your underwear freeze.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy arrives on the ice field.

Darcy wound her way down the path around one aluminum sided building whose purpose she couldn’t remember right now towards another aluminum sided building they called “the library.”  
Behind her the sun hung low on the horizon. It was much later than she had realized, thanks in part to the high latitude and a very long day of travel. But there were “welcome” drinks in the library and she was never one to pass up on some socializing. 

A cozy scene awaited her inside. She recognized a couple JIRP staffers, the helicopter pilot, her copter travel mates, the film crew, some random old dude, and Professor Thor. But no Loki. Huh.

“Darcy!” A petite brunette stationed near the little wood-burning fireplace called out to her. “Now that I can actually hear you I want you to tell me more about your project.” Dr. Jane Foster slid to make room for her on the bench. She and Darcy had flown up to Camp 17 earlier that day with Natasha Romanov. On the way up, Jane Foster had peppered her with questions about documentary film making and then on Darcy’s own research on female documentary filmmakers.

“Let me get a couple beers in me, then I’ll get up on my feminist soapbox,” Darcy said. 

“A sound plan. Let’s get that started,” Jane pushed a half-empty 12-pack in her direction. “Warmish, but still beer.”

Darcy had liked Jane, and the more reserved Natasha, as soon as she met them at the helicopter launch. So many of their shoots focused on the men of science it was nice to think that some women of science might make it to the screen this time around. These two women were especially smart and confident, no nonsense, good role models for the young female students. Well, and the male students, too, she thought as she took a swig of beer and surveyed the scene.

This library had very few books, mostly magazines, and a whole lot of gear for skiing and trekking across ice fields, she assumed. One beat up couch, a couple of benches, and a long central table took up most of the available floor space. A ladder led up to a small loft space and a narrow catwalk that provided access to more gear suspended from rafters. This building probably couldn’t hold the entire group of students, faculty, staff, and film crew at one time, but it was more than enough space for this kind of gathering. On the ground floor, in one corner, Thor and Sam were deep in conversation. Thor reached between their feet to grab two more beers from a six-pack. Bucky, Natasha, and Clint played cards with a couple JIRP staff, bottles of tequila and bourbon within easy reach. Steve hovered over Bucky’s shoulder teasing the table about his hand. 

“Steve! Where is Loki?”

He shrugged. “Probably working, Darce.”

With a sigh, she drained her bottle. “Excuse me. I’m going to pee. Then I’m going to drag Loki from whatever hole he’s hiding in and bring him back here to socialize like a human.” She grabbed a beer. “Director bait,” she winked.

The disconcerting twilight greeted her when she left the library. She ignored the sound of something skittering behind the building. She passed by the shed full of boisterous laughter. Must be some of the students. She would definitely not find Loki there or at the other cabin where some kids wrapped in blankets stargazed. (They may have also had a flask, but she was no snitch.) 

She finally found him in the kitchen/dining room building hunched over a laptop with his headphones on. He looked up at her warily.

“Darcy…”

“What are you doing?”

“Working. Is that beer for me? How thoughtful.”

“Nope. It’s for me. You have to go get your own. Maybe say hi to the other people. You know. Be a human being instead of just a director.”

He rolled his eyes and took off his headphones. “Says the person who flew in to camp on the helicopter. I just did a two day hike from Juneau with those people. I’m sure they’re happy to be rid of me for the evening.”

“And I want to hear all about that. Come tell me stories in the library.” She grabbed at his arm.

“Oh, I have great footage of it. You can watch some while I review it. It’s all here,” he patted the external hard drive next to the laptop. “Two days up the Lemon Creek trail through the aptly named “vertical swamp”. Pull up a chair, Darce. Let’s watch it.”

“Loki! Stop working for fifteen minutes! You are missing prime hunky professor time,” she groaned.

“Am I?” He pushed his laptop in her direction. On the screen Thor was pointing out something on the horizon, a pristine glacial lake glimmered behind him. A couple students loaded down with humongous, dangerously stuffed backpacks followed his hand to the distant point as he spoke.

“Ahhh. You’re not really working! This might even be worse. Honestly, man, come to the library! Work in there. Come on now.” She pulled at his arm again playfully and snatched the headphones from his hands.

He sighed. Closed the laptop with exaggerated exasperation. “Is there better beer there?”

“There’s bourbon.”

“After you.”

“Should I have led with that? With the bourbon?”

Loki chuckled.

“Loooooooooooookiiiiiiiiii,” Sam roared from a seat in the loft high above the card game and conversations as they walked through the door.

“Well, I guess I’ll have what he’s having,” Loki said to the room.

“Let’s get some of that bourbon and join Jane. And Thor! Yay! Look! Thor and Jane are sitting together,” Darcy corralled him towards the bench where Thor had joined Jane after Darcy left. Thor gave up his cushioned spot on the bench for Darcy and grabbed a couple of nearby chairs for himself and Loki. 

“And so our director appears,” Jane lifted her beer in a toast. “To a well documented summer!”

“Hear hear,” Thor added.

“Huzzah,” Darcy cheered.

“I’ll drink to that,” Loki raised his mug of bourbon.

“I found him watching some beautiful footage of Thor.” She ignored Loki’s evil eye over the edge of his bourbon mug.

“From the hike,” Loki added quickly. “At that lovely little lake where you were telling the kids about the peaks on the horizon.” He leaned into Thor ever so slightly.

“Oh, I love that lake,” Jane sighed. “I was sorry to miss the hike this year. Not the bugs so much.”

“It was a really lovely trip up. No injuries. Minimal bugs. Lots of blueberries. Can’t wait to see the video from both teams.” He nodded at Loki. “Loki and Bucky came up with the overnight hikers,” Thor explained.

“Yeah. Steve and Sam did the one-day straight up trek. I’m enormously impressed anyone does that hike in eleven hours,” Loki said. 

“And then sets up camp!” Jane added. “I only did that once and that was enough for this old body.”

“Watching the footage will be enough for me. I think I’ve roughed it enough in the service of science documentaries.” Darcy gulped down the last of her beer.

“I’m looking forward to your talk about your work, Loki,” Jane continued. “It’s so important for the students to know that careers in the sciences can be more than teaching and research. The storytelling, the reporting, the advocating are all critical. Scientific success doesn’t happen in a vaccum.” 

“Huzzah!” Darcy cheered again.

“Maybe you’re done for the night, Darce.” The group chuckled. “Water might a good idea.” Loki winked a Thor. Darcy rolled her eyes and shook her water bottle at him. “I, on the other hand, obviously need to catch up with a little more bourbon. Anyone else?”

“Sure,” Thor held out his mug for Loki.

“The footage of you is very good. You’re a natural in front of the camera.” Loki smiled shyly at Thor as he finished pouring.

“Well, thanks. That’s very reassuring coming from the director.”

Loki shrugged. “It’s a pleasure to watch you. And I don’t get to say that about all of my subjects.”

“It is truly my pleasure. You’re capturing me doing one of my favorite things - teaching about my research. I’m happy to hear you’re happy so far. Will you show any raw footage at your talk? That’s what you call it right? Raw footage.”

Loki laughed. “ Very good. Maybe I’ll pull you over into filmmaking slowly but surely,” he purred and waggled an eyebrow. The bourbon had definitely loosened him up and he did not mind. He had angled ever so slightly towards Thor while Darcy and Jane talked on the bench.

“Is it distracting? To have me and my camera in your face?”

Thor chuckled. “I wouldn’t exactly describe it that way. You seem to go out of your to be as unobtrusive as possible.”

“But you know I’m there,” Loki said softly.

Thor leaned in closer. “I know you’re there. And I’m not bothered.”

Loki took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and smiled. 

 

Later that night after the conversations had died, the card games folded, and the last of the group said their goodnights, Thor and Jane ambled back to their respective cabins. The bright moon lit their way in the eerie twilight of Alaska summer. 

“He likes you,” Jane said.

“What?”

“Loki. He likes you, Thor. He was flirting with you and you were totally oblivious all night.”

Thor shook his head. “No. That was just professional charm - director stuff.”

“Ha! No. That was personal charm, Thor. That was a very handsome man oozing very personal charm in your direction.”

Thor shook his head.

“I am just telling you what I observed. Now, what you do with this data is really up to you.”

They stood in silence, looking up at the few stars in the pastel sky.

“I won’t say any more about it,” she continued. “Unless you want my thoughts.”

Thor looked at her, the question on his face.

“Would it really be so bad, Thor? A summer fling? Would it really be so bad?”

She left him to ponder the possibility.

**Author's Note:**

> Tony's thoughts on Canada and Alaska are his own not the author's ;)


End file.
